Walnut Street, Kansas City, Mo. as it appeared in 1908 was pictured on the old post card with a message on the picture side. The reverse side, where writing was prohibited, was labeled Private Mailing Card, a regulation imposed by government postal authorities to makes sure the sender would apply a one-cent stamp and not confuse the card with the regulation government one-cent postal card. Picture postcards were something new.

The location is identified as looking north from near Petticoat Lane; a shopper walks past the familiar front of Emery, Bird, Thayer's big department store. The establishment occupied half a square block on Walnut to Grand, with Petticoat Lane the boundary on the south.

A barber pole near the alley advertises the shop of J. Frederick Metz at 1009 Walnut, according to a 1909 directory. (Four columns of barbershops are listed in the old directory, about 360 places a man could get lathered up for a haircut and shave. He could have his own private shaving soap mug and shaving brush too, if he so desired.)

Emery, Bird, Thayer's advertisement in the same directory reads: Women's and Infants' Furnishings. These departments are always first in showing the newest ideas in under-muslins, corsets and petticoats. Not mentioned were Emery, Bird's groceries, millinery, furniture, rugs, china, hardware, silver, jewelry, linens, yard goods, men's and boys' clothing and their public parlors, writing rooms and elegant tea room. Today a building for United Missouri Bank of Kansas City is under construction on the Walnut Street site.

Midway, in the center of the picture a driver turns his horse and buggy around in the middle of the block with no apparent problem.

In the distant background at 9th and Walnut, on the west side of the street, the tower of the Keith & Perry Building is seen, a Downtown landmark for years.

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